ROSEGALLERY presents PhotoGRAPHIC, an exhibition of the upcoming graphic novelPhotoGRAPHIC: The Life of Graciela Iturbide, published by the J. Paul Getty. Accompanying works by the legendary photographer, ROSEGALLERY will present the novel in its entirety, with original drawings by Zeke Peña and prose by Isabel Quintero. Photographs, illustrations and prose come together to illuminate the artistic power of Iturbide’s life and work.
Presenting the multifaceted manifestations of her story, the exhibition will run from 8 September 2017 until 21 October 2017, with a public opening on the 8th of September.
Just as in the graphic novel about her life, Graciela Iturbide’s work exists at the intersection of captivating imagery and poetic language. Born in Mexico in 1942, Iturbide studied photography under the Mexican icon Manuel Álvarez Bravo, a contemporary of Tina Modotti, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. With the uniqueness of her own eye, Iturbide captured her surroundings in intimate and empowering expressions. Often highly metaphorical, Iturbide’s photographs visually and poetically connect her own surroundings with a deeper understanding of the world.
Told through text, illustrations and Iturbide’s photographs, Photographic: The Life of Graciela Iturbidedelves into Iturbide’s history and photographic works with the guiding vision of the artist herself. From the Sonora Desert to Juchitán, India and the American South, the graphic novel tells of Iturbide’s explorations throughout the world, all caught through the lens of her camera. In the beginning pages of the graphic novel, it states, “Graciela Iturbide is a photographer. She is an icon. Orgullo mexicano. Maestra.” With her masterfully crafted photographs, Iturbide proves each title true. Iturbide’s exploration of often overlooked and eclectic subjects brings a range of perspectives to her work and her own story. Each image transcends the border between reality and myth. Birds come to her through many of her dreams and often reappear in flight in her photographs, tracing a line through her imagination and her world in the poetic language of their collective motion. Following the trail of birds on the walls of PhotoGRAPHIC, one may glimpse into the rhythm of Iturbide’s vision as her story unfolds.
